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His eyes widened. “You have been like family to me and Preena. We can never thank you enough.”
Sure, I’d helped them a few times when they’d been run off their feet, and I’d done a few other things here and there for them, but I didn’t see this the same way he did. However, it made me feel like I may have done some good if he felt the way he did, so I gave him a smile and said, “There’s no need to thank me, Avi. It’s what friends do for each other.”
His phone rang, drawing him away from our conversation, so I turned to make my way to the fridges to grab some milk. I ran smack bang into a hard chest and a chuckle. Looking up, I found Devil smiling down at me.
“The places I run into you,” he murmured, seemingly happy that he had.
Pleasure at seeing him again ran through me, but I did my best to contain it. That was proving harder to do each time I saw him. The man was smoking hot and a huge flirt. He’d been wearing his cut tonight, which he hadn’t previously, so I discovered he was a member of the Storm MC. That should have been a warning, but it wasn’t. When I’d told him earlier that I’d meet for a drink in two days, I’d meant it.
“Do you live around here?” As soon as I said it, I realised it was probably a dumb question. The convenience store was just down the road from the pub, so he was probably on his way home.
“Yeah, about two blocks that way,” he said, pointing in the direction of his home. “Do you live close, too?”
I pointed in the opposite direction to his home. “I’m about a twenty-minute walk that way.”
“You’re walking home?” He seemed concerned, and my belly somersaulted at that. Having a man worry over me was something I hadn’t experienced in years.
Stop it, Hailee. You have Wayne.
“Yeah, my car’s out of rego and I can’t afford to pay for it for about two weeks, so I’m currently walking everywhere.” I smiled as I added, “It’s great exercise.” It irritated me that I always felt the need to tell people it was great exercise when I had to tell them why I couldn’t drive. But I was a little embarrassed about not being able to afford all my bills, and I deflected with the exercise comment.
“Fuck, it’s not safe for you to be walking these streets at night.”
“My brother sometimes drives me home, but he had to work tonight.”
“And he’s happy for you to walk?” He sounded incredulous.
“I may have told him I would cab it home.” Aaron would hit the roof if he knew I walked home, but he also didn’t know what it was like to be dirt poor. He was never short of cash. I could have asked him for a loan, but I didn’t want to get even further behind in my bills.
“Right, grab your stuff and I’ll walk you home,” he said, taking charge in a bossy tone that, as much as I didn’t want to admit, I liked. However, I’d never tell him that.
“I’m fine. I’m a big girl and I’ve done this walk many times in my life.”
His eyes flashed with determination. “I know, but I don’t care. Tonight you’re doing it with me.”
I stared at him. “We’ve just met and you wanna boss me around already?”
His eyes didn’t let mine go. “Darlin’, I’m betting you like me bossing you around. And to be honest, I like you arguing with me over it, so by all means, keep giving it to me, because I’ll just keep giving it back.”
He wasn’t kidding. I didn’t know him, but I figured that much about him so far. He didn’t bullshit. I reached for a basket and yanked it up. “Oh, for God’s sake,” I muttered as if I was annoyed, but I wasn’t. He was right—I liked the back and forth with him. But at the same time, I had an independent streak a mile wide, and no way in hell would I go down easily.
Without waiting for him, I walked to the fridges and grabbed milk and butter. I then stocked up on bread, Earl Grey teabags, and Tim Tams. My grandmother had an afternoon routine that consisted of tea and Tim Tams, and she’d be cranky if I forgot either of them tonight, because we’d run out during the day.
Devil stuck close behind me, but let me shop in silence. His presence alone caused a rush of butterflies in my tummy, though, and that put me off my game to the point that I dropped both the teabags and the Tim Tams while attempting to put them in my basket. And then when I bent to retrieve them, he did too, and we butted heads.
However, while I was in a state of nervous energy over it, he didn’t appear to notice, being completely engrossed in concern for me. Reaching out, he placed his hand on my forehead. “You okay?”
“I’m fine.” My voice was all breathy. God, what was happening to me tonight? I was like a damn schoolgirl around him.
I took the groceries out of his hand and dumped them in the basket before stalking back to the counter. I knew I was being all kinds of rude, but my thoughts and emotions were in a state of turmoil.
Confused as fuck was where I was at. Which was pretty much how I’d been since I’d met him. From that very first conversation we had in the back of Aaron’s car, I’d been attracted to him. But I didn’t want to be. I wanted to want Wayne, the predictable guy. However, I couldn’t help myself around Devil. I flirted back every time he flirted. And I said yes to drinks before my brain caught up with my body. I was helpless to stop myself. The excitement I felt when he came near me was unlike anything I’d experienced before.
I paid for my items and chatted with Avi briefly before exiting the store. The summer heat hit me the moment I stepped foot outside, and I groaned my annoyance. Summer could fuck off; give me winter any day.
“Here, let me carry that,” Devil said as he came up behind me and took the bag of groceries from me.
And there he went, surprising me by doing something most men I met didn’t. “Old school manners. I like it,” I said with a smile.
